Moving West

Ryan graduates from his residency at the Cleveland Clinic next month. It has been a long and wonderful journey, and we've loved living in the eastern part of the country for the past eight years. Last fall when considering job opportunities, it became apparent that we would be moving west... closer to home. Though not first a consideration, Valley Anesthesia in Phoenix, Arizona became one of our top options. After a bit of praying, the heat, lack of seasons, and desert landscape seemed insignificant obstacles. Ryan accepted a position in the North Scottsdale area and is excited to be joining such a wonderful, well-established group.

Never having visited Arizona, you can imagine I was a bit tentative to see where I would finally be settling down. So we held our breath as we boarded a plane in March to go take a look. Our journey started out a bit rocky. Due to mechanical problems, we sat on the runway in Cleveland for two hours. You can imagine our frustration, especially when we found out that our mechanical problem was a broken arm rest in first class. To make matters worse, the babies were traveling with us and Chloe threw up multiple times on the flight. What a blessing that one of our flight attendants just happened to be carrying along a bag of baby clothes to give to a friend in Phoenix! In the end, the trip ended up fruitful. We found a great area to live in with wonderful schools, a great ward, and plenty of kids. The trip home was thankfully much less eventful.

Packing up the house was a challenge with two 21-month-olds. In the past week they have dipped in the toilet a polly pocket, play phone, doll, pair of pants, toothbrush, Gameboy, and their blankets. I was not aware the blankets had taken the plung until they had been dragged all over our second floor carpet. It was very wet! They have also enjoyed climbing into the kitchen sink and I have seriously considered if we really need kitchen chairs. Their new facination is drawing on themselves. Luckily for them permanent markers seem to be everywhere around the house as we have been labeling boxes. Luckily for me, the facination has been contained to their bodies only. Lastly, Hadley and Chloe have thwarted nearly every last idea we have had to keep them dressed and diapered. We tried putting underwear over the diapers, making them wear onsies, and putting their diapers on backwards. We tried safety pinning their pajamas and jacket zippers. Yet, I continually find them half or completely naked every day. A favorite time seems to be when putting them down for a nap or down to bed. I think it is revenge. They know that by going to the bathroom in their beds, mom will come back and get them up. We think we have them this time though. Our new idea seems to be holding strong... ducktape!

Braden and Emme seem to be holding up well, though they will both miss their friends. Today at Emmry's school they had a "goodbye Emmry" day and Braden will spend the afternoon tomorrow launching water rockets with his class before we go. One of the most difficult things for Braden to leave behind is his beloved Perry the parakeet. Perry passed away, beak down in his empty water dish when Braden was six. He is buried in our backyard. Braden and Ryan went out tonight to exhume him for reburial in Arizona. Unfortuately, the marker was lost over time and they were unable to find him. May he rest in peace.

As we pull out tomorrow we leave behind wonderful friends and memories in Ohio, but we look forward to a new adventure. The kids and I will spend some time in Utah with family and friends before Ryan joins us and we begin this long awaited chapter of our lives in Arizona.